Stalk-cutter.



No. 702,`5I3. f Patented lun-e lI7, '|902'.

. w. n wELsH. s STALK CUTTER.

(Appucmoh med Aug. 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

MTA/5.5555:

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UNITED STATE-s PATENT WESLEY R. WELSH, OF PARKESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STAVVLK-CUTTER.

g SPECIFfT-GATloN forming part of Letters yPatent No. 702,513, dated June 17, 1902.

applichi@ inea Angsten-190e.

T tZZ wiz/0771, t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY R. WELSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkesburg, iuthe countyv of Chester-and State of Pennsylvania,haveinventedV certain new and useful Improvements in=StalkCut ters; and I do hereby declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in a stalk-cuttin g machine of that class in which anumber of cutting bars or blades radially disposed are given horizontal rotation by an tion of a machine that may bereadily moved i over rows of standinglstalks, especiallysuch as thestubble or butt-ends of cornstalks, cuttingthem` off at desired points above the i ground, so thatit maybe conveniently plowed 4or otherwisetreated.

The elements ofthe invention will sever,-

ally andxat'large'appear in the following de- 1 scription, and they will be specifically/pointed A 'f directly above the axis of .the'a'Xle-bearings outjin the'appended claims.

The purposes of the invention are attained by the mechanism, devices, and means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, with similar reference characters to designate like y parts throughout the several views,in which`- Figure l is a plan of a stalk-cutting machine embodying the elementslof the invention, with portions of the moving .shaftsremoved. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken side rails a, having cross-'bars a' placed underneath, and bolt`sa2'through their bodies, with nuts on their Athreaded ends binding the bars and rails together, one bar being at the forward ends of the side rails and the other .rearward ends; provided on their' under sides with bearing- Serial No. 27,873. (No model.)V

bar at a prescribed distance forward of their The side rails are centrally blocks A', through which are .journaled the outerendsof an axle orshaftA2, held sidewise in place by havingrigidly secured there to collars A3, engaging against the outer faces of said. bearingfblocks, the collars Ahaving in their peripheral surfaces'ratchet-'teeth or recesses a3; (Best shown in Figf.) On the ends of the shaft, outside of thecollars and freely turning, are journaled the hubs of wheels A4 and held in place by washers. and Cotter-pins a4.

The Vertical inner faces of the hubs are provided withspring-paw-ls A5, securely afiixed, asby angular studs as, to engage said ratchetteeth, rotating said shaft as the Wheels roll forward and allowing it to remain stationaryas said wheels stand still or turn backward.

Above the frame A, flushwith its forward edge and between yits side rails, is arranged a similar but somewhat smaller frame B, com-I prising side rails b, lyingadjaceut to said `former side rails, and having cross-bars b',

placed. thereon with boltsfb2 through their bodies and nuits on their threaded ends binding thelbars and rails together, one bar being atjthe forward endsof the side rails and the other bar a prescribed distance rearward. These frames are pivoted together practically by trunnion-joints B', havingtheir members h3 b4 respectively secured tothe siderails b rigidly secured the rear ends of a pair of shafts or thillsB2,` as by bolts and nuts h6,

and beingA provided .with asingletree B3,

whereby ahorse -maybensed to move the zmachine. These cross-bars have also secured to the middle points of the under faces the( ends of a strip or plate'B4, as by bolts and nuts 197, to support the adjusting or regulating devices yetto .be described; 4`

At the rearward end of the frame A is arranged a rod'or shaft C, havingits extremities 'journaled -in bearings'c,"s'ecured to the upper faces of the side rails a, as by bolts and nuts c', while collars C', secured to the shaft,

as by set-screws c2, and engaging against the inner faces of the bearings, serve to keep the shaft sidewise in place. Depending somewhat centrally from this shaft is a hanger C2, comprising a Vertical tubular portion c3, having at its upper end a yoke-bar c4, with upwardly-projecting end arms c5, provided at their upper ends with hub-rings o, sleeved on the shaft and through which set-screws CT serve to rigidly secure the hanger in place, the tubular portion serving to support a vertical shaft and the space above the yoke-bar and between its end arms permitting the operation of a sprocket and a bevel gear-wheel, all yet to be described, while the lower end of the hanger is forwardly provided with an eye-lug as to be engaged by the lower end of an adjusting connecting-rod, also yet to be described.

To turn freely on the axle-shaft A2 or lto have said axle-shaft turn freely in its hub is mounted a prescribed sprocket-wheel D, having the required number of teeth d. The

hub having the required dimensions is provided near one end with a circumferential groove or recess d, in which the end of a lever, yet to be described, is adapted to move it backward or forward and hold it in place, and at the other end with alternate end lugs and recesses constituting a clutch member (l2 to engage corresponding recesses and end lugs of a clutch member (Z3, which is also mounted on and rigidly secured to said axleshaft, as by a set-screw d4, at the required point to bring said sprocket-wheel to the desired position and to rotate the same.

A sprocket-wheel E of prescribed dimensions, having teeth c, similar to those of the wheel D, before mentioned, and of equal pitch, is mounted on a prescribed hub e and rigidly secured thereto near to one end thereof, the hub being also sleeved or journaled on the shaft C, freely turning thereon between the hub-rings c of the hanger, with its ends engaging against the adjacent faces of said rings to be kept therebyin place. Onto the longer portion of this hub and in close proximity to the sprocket-wheel is also rigidly secured a prescribed bevel gear-wheel E of prescribed dimensions, with its teeth e2 intel-meshing with the teeth e3 of a bevelpinion E2, which is rigidly secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft E3, journaled through the tubular portion c3 of the hanger, by which said shaft is rotatably supported and below which its lower end projects a prescribed distance. To the lower projecting end of this shaft is rigidly secured in any approved manner the central hub ofa circular disk or plate E4, horizontally disposed, its central hub e4 engaging against the lower end of said hanger portion c3, while on top of the disk are placed the inner ends of prescribed blades or knives E5, radially disposed and rigidly secured in place, as by nuts and bolts e5, passing through said inner ends and plate, said knives being provided with cutting edges e6 to facilitate the cutting of the stalks, and to give the knives the required motion the sprocket-wheels D and E have a chain EG mounted thereon, the links c7 of the chain engaging on the teeth (l and c of the wheels. Now in order that the knives or cuttingblades may be controlled at pleasure, set in motion, or remain stationary a lever F is provided, being pivoted to the rearward side of the rearward cross-bar Z1', as by afpivot or fulcrum-pin f, said lever having a downwardly and rearwardly curving arm f', having, preferably, a bifurcated end f2, provided at the extremities of its branches with inwardly-projecting pins f3, which may be provided with rollers engaging in the groove d', before mentioned, whereby the clutch members cl2 d3 may be brought together or disconnected, said lever having also an upwardlyprojecting armfi, having a hand-grip f at its upper end and being provided with a lockingbolt f6, with its lower end engaging in notches fl, formed in the periphery of a semicircular arc F, secured to the upper face of the same cross-bar b', the locking-bolt f being operated by a connecting-rod F2 and a spring-actuated grip-lever F2.

To bring the forward ends of the frames A and B closer together or to spread them farther apart, as well as to hold them stationary in 'any position, an angle-lever G is provided, being pivoted to the near side edge of the strip B, before mentioned, as by a fulcrum pin or stud g, passing through its angle, with a cotter-pin holding the lever in place, said lever having its shorter arm g horizontally and forwardly disposed with its forward endpivotally connected, as by a link G', to the rearward edge of the forward end cross-bar a', before mentioned, and its longer arm g2 upwardly extending with a hand-grip g3 at the upper end thereof, and being provided with a locking-bolt g4 with its lower end engaging :in notches g5, formed in the periphery of a semicircular arc G2, secured to the upper face ol' said strip BL and adjacent to said near side edge, the locking-bolt g4 being operated bya connecting-rod G3 anda spring-actuated griplever G4. It will here be noted that by means of this lever and its connections with the forward ends of the frames B and A the rearward end of the frame A, with the stalk-cutting mechanism, maybe elevated or depressed and maintained as required with the cuttingblades at the desired distance above the ground.

To maintain or hold the cutting-blades E5 in a horizontal position or that they will move and work :in a plane parallel to the ground, a lever I-I is provided, being pivoted to the far side edge of the strip B4, above mentioned, as by a fulcrum-stud h, passing therethrough, and secured by a cotter-pin passing through the stud, the arm h' of the lever downwardly disposed having its low end pivotally connected by a rod or link l-I with the eye-lng o8, before mentioned, and the arm h2, upwardly IOO extending with a hand-grip h3 at the upper end thereof, said lever being provided with a locking-bolt h4 with its lower end engaging in notches h5, formed in the periphery of a semimounted on the rock-shaft, a vertical shaft,

mounted in said'tubular hanger provided with a disk at-the lower end, radial knives fixed to said disk, means for operating said vertical shaft andknives and means for keeping said knives in a plane parallel with the ground, said means consisting of a lever piv- Y oted to the'frame, and a link, one end connected to the tubular hanger and the opposite end to the lever, substantially as described. y

2. In a stalk-cutter, a tiltingframe having two members pivoted togetherwith their forward end edges movable toward and from each other, means to eect said movement and `to hold them in a xed position, said frame mounted on an axle yhaving wheels, a non-slidable clutchand a slidable clutch mounted on said axle, said slidable clutch having a sprocket-wheel secured thereto, means to move it into and out of engagement with said non-slidable clutch, a horizontal rock-shaft supported on the rear end of the frame, a tubular hub loosely mounted upon said rock-shaft having a sprocket-wheel and a beveled gear, a chain connecting said sprocket-wheel with the sprocket wheel of said slidable clutch,'a pivoted tubular hanger `provided with arms having hubs rigidly mounted on the said horizontal rock-shaft, a vertical shaft mounted in said tubular hanger, provided with a disk, radial cutting-knives fixed to the top of saiddisk, and means for adjusting the hanger consisting of a lever havingalink.connectedto the hanger, substantially as described.

3. Ina stalk-cutter having a tilting frame v as described and mounted on arevoluble axle with forwardly-engaging ,wheels on the extremities thereof and a sprocket-wheel secured to a clutch member'movable back and forth thereon, with a rock-shaft end journaled in the' rearward end of said frame-and having a tubular hub carrying a sprocket-wheel and a beveled gear-Wheel rotatably sleeved l thereon, with an Aendless chain mounted on said sprocket-wheels, a tubular hanger with a yoke at the upper end vthereof depending from said rock-shaft, said yoke embracing the ends of said tubular hub and the arms of the yoke rigidly securedto the shaft, a .revo-v luble shaft journaledA through said hanger having at its upper end a beveled gearfwheel intermeshing with the gear-wheel of the hub, and at its lower enda diskvwith radial-cutting-blades having their inner ends rigidly secured to said disk, and a lever -provided `with a link connectedto the hanger adapted to adj ust said hanger forthe purpose of keeping the knives in a plane parallel with the ground, substantially as described and for.

the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof'I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WESLEY R.v VELSH.

Witnesses: p

DANL. H. HERR, CHAs. E. LONG. 

